Those Three Words
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Gia's got to face the three scariest words of her life when it comes to love. Will she finally be able to tell Jake she loves him, or will she be forced to let him go?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made._

_Author's Note: This is not where the Megaforce series starts. If you want to read the series without getting lost, I suggest you read my stories in the order they appear:_

_**No To Date Nights - The Party Night - Project Partners - Megaforce: Lives Behind The Masks - **__**Prom Night**__ - __**A Trip To Remember - First Meetings - Something She Loves – Protective Morans – Samurai In Harwood County – Rainy Days – Luck Had Nothing To Do With It – Ranger Support – Parents and Children – Hero Without The Spandex – Emma's Night – Emma's Mother – Bait And Switch – After Death – A Stormy Day – A Date For Tensou – A Mother's Advice – Mending Fences – Executioner Named Revenge**_

Gia held Jake's hand tightly while he lay down on a table in the command center. A week had passed with no changes in his mental state after a severe beating left him almost on the brink of death. Just when Gia thought there would finally be some peace for her and her friends, Cliff's parents had come back with a vengeance.

She didn't know what was wrong with them, but it sure was genetic. Enraged by their son's death, Cliff's parents wanted the ones they believed were responsible to pay. They attacked the people closest to Gia, beating up her boyfriend simply because she loved him, and kidnapping her best friend because it was Emma who had been the one to see Cliff for who he really was. In the end, their revenge ended being what took them out. Cliff's father, who had treated his wife horribly throughout most of their marriage, ended up on the receiving end of her rage when she picked up a gun and fired several bullets into his chest. He died. His wife was serving a lifelong prison sentence for murder, kidnapping, and because she had been responsible for the assault on Jake.

Gia won. Cliff was gone, never to hurt her again, and his parents, who were just as crazy, maybe worse, had also been taking care of. The victory didn't feel like a win, though. Everyone was able to recover except for Jake, who because of a concussion prior to his attack, was left in a state of mental disability. He couldn't talk; he had no way of expressing himself. He simply lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling or sleeping. It was like he was trapped inside his own body. Gia, Noah, and his father had no idea how much he could see and recognize of his environment. He hadn't freaked out during his stay in the hospital, but that could have been because it didn't register in his mind that he was in a hospital, or he forgot about his fear of hospitals, or he was scared, and he had freaked out, but due to his injury he couldn't express it at all. Still, everyone around him did their best to keep him comfortable and calm.

Knowing his son's fears, Mr. Holling arranged to take Jake home as quickly as possible and have a doctor check up on him every day. Jake spent several days lying in his own bed without progress. Fortunately, Tensou called the Rangers. He said he had a solution that could help bring Jake back to normal.

"You want to put that in his brain?" Noah asked as he looked down at Tensou with a skeptical frown.

"Last time a chip ended up in someone's brain, it was a problem," Emma pointed out as she looked over Tensou's work on the pink console. She couldn't understand any of it, or what it meant, but felt more comfortable trusting Tensou if she could actually see what he had been doing.

"Yeah, let's not repeat that," Gia said and touched Jake's forehead. She gave him a warm smile so that if he could see it, it would cheer him up.

"Rangers, I promise this is going to work," Tensou held up the chip. "As much as it can, it'll bring the black Ranger back to us."

"It'll give him his motor functions back?" Noah asked. "He'll be able to walk, sit, stand…"

"Play soccer?" Gia added.

"All that," Tensou nodded.

"What about personality?" Troy asked. "I mean, it would be great to have Jake up and running again, but it would be better if he was…"

"Jake," Gia spoke up. "Tensou, how can that little… thing bring Jake back?"

"You have to trust me, yellow Ranger."

"You tried dating my mom only a couple of weeks after my father died," Gia rolled her eyes. "Sorry if I question your decisions a little bit."

"Was that wrong?" Tensou asked Noah and then shook his head, "No, that's not the point. I've got a chip and I'm certain it's going to help the black Ranger feel better again. The procedure is non-invasive, though if you would like faster results…"

"You're not carving his head open!" Gia screamed. Emma put her hand on Gia's shoulder to calm her down. "Sorry, Tensou, but you're just… not."

"Tensou has come up with a computer chip that will, at the very least, restore Jake's motor skills, and will bring us a step closer to having our black Ranger back in action."

"He's got a name and it's Jake," Gia growled to Gosei and Tensou. "I get you're worried about the black Ranger, but I'm more concerned about getting Jake back to full health. We can worry about the black Ranger then. So what are the risks for Jake?"

"Permanent immobility," Tensou said. "Once the chip implants itself into his brain, there will be no going back. I'm certain it will work, though…"

"But if it doesn't?" Noah asked, "Jake will be paralyzed permanently?"

"The odds of that are less than one…"

"Tensou, the odds haven't really been in his favour up till now," Gia rolled her eyes. "What other risks?"

"With this chip, just immobility," Tensou said. "It's your call, Rangers, but I really think…"

"Shut up, Tensou. Noah? You've known him longer. What would he want?" Gia asked as she looked to the blue Ranger. Noah shrugged his shoulders and sighed. Jake had always been one to take risks, but never one this big. While Tensou promised the chip would work there was never a guarantee. Noah had worked with technology and computers long enough to know they could be temperamental.

But when he looked to Jake, lying helplessly on the table, unable to move or speak, unable to be Jake, he knew this was a risk he had to take. He nodded his head as he looked to Gia. Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment but then she came to the same conclusion as Noah.

"Okay, Tensou, you have one shot," Gia said as she squeezed Jake's hand, "Make it count."

"I won't let you down, Rangers."

"This may require a few days," Gosei announced to the Rangers. "Tensou will have to work slowly and carefully to insure minimal damage, especially as the chip approaches his brain. Then, once it is attached, it may be some time still before we begin to see results."

"How long?" Noah asked.

"Three days," Tensou replied.

"What do we do about his dad and the doctors?" Noah turned to Gosei. "They're going to ask where he is. They're going to worry about him."

"And the chip once it's in his head…"

"Will be invisible," Tensou said. "I promise, Rangers, everything will be okay."

"That still doesn't tell us how we deal with his dad."

"Hmm," Troy hummed from the corner and the Rangers all turned to look at them. He didn't say anything except that he would take care of Jake's father before he walked out.

"You know what would be helpful," Noah said as he turned to the girls, "If Troy shared his thoughts a little more."

"I don't know," Emma smirked, "I've always found him to be very open and outgoing."

"Jokes aside," Gia said. She bent over so she was eye to eye with Tensou, "If anything happens to Jake, I'm going to disassemble you and turn you into soda cans. Got it?"

"Y-yes, yellow Ranger. I'll be extra super-duper absolutely careful."


	2. A Hard Decision

After being sure that Tensou and Gosei had everything under control with Jake at the command center, the Rangers teleported back to Jake's bedroom. Troy had gone ahead of them, stating he had a plan that would distract Mr. Holling long enough for Jake to receive his treatment unnoticed. Gia was the first to leave the bedroom and step out into the hallway, where she could hear Troy speaking with Mr. Holling.

"I know this is a hard time, but Jake will need his father to know what he's doing as quickly as possible. Mr. Holling, this weekend workshop will give you all the information you need to care for a son like Jake, especially on your own."

"I don't know, Troy. Jake needs me now more than ever. I can't just leave him…"

"I've talked to Noah and Gia about this already. They'll be staying over with him the entire time you're going. Emma and I will be visiting too, and the doctors are the ones who know what they're doing anyway. It'll just be a couple of days, and it'll mean a world of a difference for Jake to know his father can help him with anything."

"You promise you'll look after him?"

"I babysit my baby sister all the time, and she can't talk or control her body."

"This is different."

"This is a great workshop. You'll come back stronger for it. Jake needs you to do this."

"How do you know?"

"My parents took a workshop once on bullying when I was a kid. They found a lot of great strategies for helping me stand up to my bullies and dealing with the teases and taunts. It changed my life, Mr. Holling. This is the same guy. He's incredible."

"Alright," Mr. Holling said. "I'll go."

"You don't want to be late," Troy said. "I'll explain everything to Jake."

"Tell him I'll call every night, and that I can come back anytime he needs me. Just… let him know I'm doing this for him."

"He'll know, I promise," Troy said. There was a silence before Gia, Emma, and Noah saw Troy coming around the corner.

"A workshop?"

"For parents of kids with special needs," Troy held up a flyer. "There's one taking place tonight in Mariner Bay."

"How do you know?" Gia grabbed the flyer.

"My parents actually went to one of this guy's bullying workshops, and they get emails from him all the time about upcoming events. They told me about him the other day and suggested I at least bring it up to Mr. Holling."

"You actually convinced him to leave?" Noah asked. "He won't be around to check up on Jake?"

"It wasn't easy," Troy nodded his head. "But if Tensou's chip is going to work, he's going to need as much time as he can get. Jake's better off at the command center."

"What about the doctors coming around?" Emma asked. "I'm sure they'll notice if the patient they drove out to see isn't home."

"I can cancel them," Noah said and he took his laptop out of his bag. "All I've got to do is hack into the hospital database and change around a few shifts."

"I'm glad you're on our side, Noah," Gia gave him a pat on the back and then looked back to Jake's room, "So, I guess all we have to do now is…"

"Wait," Troy nodded his head. "All we can do is wait."

"He'll be okay," Emma promised Gia as she wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Tensou knows what he's doing, and Jake's a fighter. It'll be okay. It has to be."


	3. Did He Hear?

It had been a day since Tensou had promised the Rangers he could work a miracle on Jake's recovery. Gia was hopeful, but she tried not to put all her faith in Tensou. She had a horrible feeling he was going to let her down and she didn't want to be disappointed.

After breakfast, she stopped by the command center. There was nothing she could do while Tensou and Gosei worked on Jake, but she figured she could be there for her boyfriend. She found him still lying on the table, but today he was morphed in his Ranger suit. When she looked to Tensou for an explanation, he told her the Ranger suit was how the chip would be implanted into his brain without an invasive surgical procedure. When the Rangers morphed, a lot of information about their weapons, Zords, and Power Cards had been downloaded into their brains. Gia assumed it was the same process for the chip that would hopefully help Jake regain control over his body.

"Can I have a minute alone with him?" Gia asked. Tensou nodded his head and rolled into the back room. He had all the computers and monitors set up to work and could afford to step away for a few minutes. Gia watched him go and then she turned around to Gosei. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"You too."

"Gia, I feel I should warn you, Jake does understand what is…"

"Yeah, and I want him too. Thank you, Gosei. You can melt back into wall art, now."

Gia saw the lights in his eyes dim until they were off and then grabbed a chair from up against the wall. She brought it over to the table and took Jake's hand. She wished she could take off his helmet, but at the same time it kept her from seeing the blank stare that was stuck on Jake's face until the chip could work. She did remove his glove though, wanting to feel his skin.

"Troy convinced your dad to attend a weekend workshop out of town for parents of children with disabilities. He's gone, but only because he knows it's best for you in the long run. So don't worry, your dad's not freaking out and wondering where you are. We've got that covered. Noah's also cancelled all the nurses by rearranging their shifts at the hospital. I don't know how he does it, but he's good. Hopefully, by the time everything goes back to normal, you'll be back to normal too. And if you're worried about explaining the chip in your head to doctors, Tensou says it'll be invisible on scans and x-rays. You'll just be another medical miracle."

She squeezed his hand gently and let out a sigh, "I don't like this, Jake. I don't like waiting or wondering what's going to happen. Dad's dead, and I'm still having a hard time getting over that. Now, those bastards tried to hurt everyone else I love. Mom's fine. She's just got a bit of a headache still, like me. Emma's bruises are healing. She's been a real soldier. It's just you, Jake. They wanted to hurt me, and if you can pull this off, it's not going to happen. But if I lose you…"

A tear fell from her cheek and landed on Jake's hand. She shook her head, "I hate leaning on other people Jake. I hate how weak I feel right now waiting to see if you'll be okay so I'll be okay. I just… I hate how you have this control over me and I hate that I like it. I hate that I like that I can lean on you, and trust you. I hate that I like that I can lean on you. I hate that you know how royally fucked up I am but you still like me. I hate it all, but I need it. I want it. Tensou promises this is going to work and I need it to. I need you, Jake, more than I've ever needed anyone before. Please get better, Jake. I love you."

She kissed his helmet, put the glove back on his hand and then slowly walked out of the command center. Tensou rolled into the main room slowly as she left and let out a sigh as he watched her go. Then he turned back to the table and he saw the black Ranger's head slowly turning. At first he couldn't believe it, but when he knew it was true he called for Gia but she was already gone. He rolled over to Jake quickly and checked all his monitors.

"It's working!" he cried happily and rolled around the room in excitement, "My chip! It's actually working!"

He rolled back to the table and elevated himself so he could lean over Jake. He looked at the black Ranger through the visor.

"Black Ranger, if you can hear me, nod your head."

It took a moment, but Tensou saw Jake's head moving up and down. It was slow, and it wasn't at a regular pace, but it was more than he could do in the past few days. After that, Tensou tried another test, verbally asking Jake to complete a few simple physical tasks. Jake passed them all.

"Jake's spirit has always been strong, Tensou," Gosei announced. "I suggest you get started on something to bring the rest of him back."

"Right away! I'll get started right away!" Tensou cried out excitedly and hurried around the room.


	4. A Wake Up

By the evening, Tensou was overjoyed with his progress of the day. Gia had come to the command center to visit Jake, and took a moment alone to speak with him. Tensou had no idea what she had said, but she had left the command center in tears. Whatever she had said had worked, though, as Jake started showing amazing progress in his recovery the moment she left. Tensou worked hard all day to keep his recovery going strong so that when Noah came to visit that evening after dinner, Jake was up on his feet, walking around the room.

"What the hell?" Noah dropped his laptop bag and raced in, catching his best friend by the arm and spinning him around. "Jake? Are you…? Am I...? Is this real?"

"Progress is moving faster than I expected," Tensou announced happily as he sped around the room excitedly, running from monitor to monitor. I'm downloading all of Jake's memories as we speak, just to refresh his mind on what's been happening since you've been Rangers, but he doesn't really seem to need it."

"Wait, you're giving him back his memories? I thought mobility alone would take up the entire weekend?"

"Humans are so fascinating!" Tensou said joyfully before shoving a monitor in Noah's face. "Your brains are far more complex than any computer programming I've seen. Even my own. Just when I think I've got you all figured out, you surprise me again."

"So Jake's going to be…"

"Better than okay!"

Noah turned to Jake and he saw the smile on his best friend's face. He pulled the black Ranger in for a tight hug.

"You had me worried sick, you idiot!" Noah pulled away and saw Jake tried to answer, but nothing came out. He turned to Tensou, "Wait, why can't he…?"

"That's next," Tensou said.

"Well, what can I do to help?" Noah asked as he looked down at the monitor before him and then over to Jake, "The faster we can get you back on your feet, the better."

Jake nodded his head and then resumed walking around the command center. Noah could see he was a little bit wobbly, and he sometimes needed to lean against the wall to keep his balance, but he spent the last few days unable to control his legs. It was a miracle he was walking around on his own. Asking Jake to run around would be asking far too much. Noah was just happy to see Tensou's latest project was working better than expected.

-Megaforce-

Gia ignored the knock on her door, knowing that whoever it was would just come inside anyways. She let out a sigh and rolled over in her bed, hiding her face in her pillow just as the door opened.

"Hey, Gia," it was Emma, and it sounded like she wanted something. Gia didn't make a sound. She heard Emma closing the door. The pink Ranger took a seat on the bed, "I just wanted to know if you planned on visiting Jake tonight. I'll go with you."

"Emma…"

"Yeah."

"I'm scared."

"Yeah," Emma lay down beside Gia and put her hand on her back, "I know. Me too. I actually like Jake."

Emma shifted slightly on the bed so she was lying on her stomach, "By the way, Cliff doesn't have any aunts or uncles or other crazy family members I need to worry about, right?"

"Nope."

"Good," Emma said. "So I guess this time, we're really done."

"I screwed up a good guy, Emma," Gia whispered. "I screwed it all up for him. Cliff's parents just wanted to go after you until they found out Jake was my boyfriend. If I hadn't… OW!"

"It's a new game," Emma said. "Anytime you put those three words together, I hit you."

"I don't like this game," Gia finally looked up from her pillow and glared at Emma. "You know how I feel about games that involve hitting me."

"Don't say those three words, then," Emma shrugged. "You had every right to move on from Cliff. You had every right to fall in love with Jake."

"You do know."

"Of course I know," Emma chuckled. "You're happiest when Jake's around. I know you love him and I know you deserve to be with someone you love and who loves you back. What Cliff did, what his parents did, and what happened to all of them was their own doing."

"But if I hadn't… OW!"

"You're not to blame, and you can't keep thinking that. Jake wouldn't want you to think this way."

"Emma, we've got no idea what he's thinking. He could be screaming for use to just… let him go."

"No. No way. I know he's not."

"How? He's a freaking… vegetable. What if Tensou's chip doesn't work? What if Jake's actually stuck like this? I know if I was like that, I would want you to…"

"You wouldn't get a say," Emma shook her head. "I'd try everything to bring you back. Jake would too. He's come this far for you, Gia, and this whole time, he's done nothing but try and make you happy. He wouldn't want you to give up and fall apart like this. Do you want to see him? I'll be right there with you."

"I want to," Gia sighed and rested her head against her pillow again, "But not like this."

Emma saw the tears streaming down Gia's cheeks and she knew what her best friend meant. Jake would want Gia by his side, but he would want to see her standing strong. More than that, Gia needed to be strong. Jake, as far as the girls knew, was in a state where he was weak, helpless, and vulnerable, and unfortunately, because of his state, Gia felt the same way. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to stand by his side and be strong for him, but she needed more time to do that. Jake would have to understand and she was sure he could wait until morning.

"Noah's with him, anyways. He won't be lonely," Emma leaned into her best friend. "Want me to stay with you tonight?"

"Please?"

Emma put her head on Gia's pillow, "We'll see him tomorrow. First thing. That way, when he wakes up, you're the first thing he sees. It'll make him happy."

-Megaforce-

Noah yawned loudly and looked at the time on his phone. It was three in the morning and he was supposed to be in bed, but he couldn't rest. He was minutes away from getting his best friend back.

Jake was back on the table, resting for now as Tensou finished up the final programming of the chips in his brain. A project that was supposed to take at least a weekend was now going to be complete in just over twenty-four hours. All Jake needed to do now was wake up.

He started to stir. Tensou rolled over to one side of the table and looked over. Noah was on the other side, leaning over Jake. When the black Ranger opened his eyes he smiled.

"How are you feeling, Jake?"

It took a second, but Jake sat up. He swayed for a minute as his body tried to adjust to the new position, but he could sit up on his own. Then he lifted his hands and wiggled his fingers. Then he did the same with his legs and his toes. He looked back to Noah with a bright smile.

"So it was Cliff's parents, huh?"

Noah threw his arms around his best friend, "You're back! You're… you!"

"Yeah, me with the biggest headache of my life," Jake grumbled as he hugged Noah tight, "But if it's this or the alternative, I'll take a lifelong headache every time."

Jake then pulled away from Noah and looked over to Tensou. He gave the little robot a pat on the head, "Thanks, little dude. This wouldn't have been possible without you."

"Aw, shucks," Tensou shrank slightly and looked like he was trying to show embarrassment by hiding his face, "I was just doing my job. Caring for you Rangers no matter how hopeless it seems is what I was programmed to do. That headache might last a while. There's nothing I can do for that. You've been pushing yourself really hard."

"Jake, you understand all this should be impossible, right?" Noah asked and looked his best friend in the eye. "I mean, less than a day ago, you were all but dead. You couldn't move, you were just a body staring up at a ceiling. My love life had more life in it than you did."

"Dude, I'm unstoppable," Jake chuckled and lightly punched Noah's arm, "Don't you know that by now?"

"Jake, I don't think you get it. My normal human standards, this is completely unexplainable. Even with Tensou's technology, we didn't expect this… You're… you're back."

"I had a lot to come back to. For starters, dad looked… horrible."

"He's going to be so happy you're okay," Noah nodded his head. "When he gets back tomorrow night… you might actually make him cry."

"Whoa, hey, I didn't sign up for any crying," Jake said teasingly. "I've already seen you crying, and dude, it's ugly."

"I was worried sick."

"Yeah, I saw. Thanks for sticking by me anyways."

"Are you kidding? You'd have done the same for me."

Jake nodded his head and smiled, then he looked around to find the time, "Dude, where's Gia? I need to…"

"It's the middle of the night, Jake," Noah shook his head. "She's probably in bed."

Jake reached into Noah's pocket and took his phone out. He saw the time and let out a sigh. He didn't want to have to wait to see Gia, but it was really late. He was sure she wouldn't mind the early wake up call, but this left him with a little time to prepare. When he gave Noah his phone back, he couldn't stop from smiling.

"Dude, you'll never guess what Gia said to me."

"What?"

"Promise you won't tell anyone," Jake said. "You know Gia. You know how private she is."

"I promise, Jake."

"She loves me," Jake smiled. Noah couldn't remember seeing Jake's face so lit up and happy. "She said it to me, dude. She wouldn't say that if she didn't… I mean, those aren't words that just fall out of her mouth, you know. From her, they're…"

"Special. She feels the same way you do," Noah smiled. "So, are you going to tell her? Now that you know? Now that she told you?"

"I was kind of comatose when she said it," Jake shrugged. "She may not know I know. She still might not be ready to…"

"Jake, she said it. It would mean a lot to her if you said it back."

"You think?"

"You heard what she said," Noah nodded his head. "Jake, Gia doesn't pour her heart out for just anyone. It's obvious you mean something special to her. She was worried sick for you, you know. She's trying real hard not to fall apart for you. Of everyone, this is killing her the most. She's going to be so excited when she finds out you're okay."


	5. I Love You

Jake got all the practice he needed by pacing around in the command center. The rest of the night after his awakening was passed with tests, as Tensou and Gosei made sure that he was functioning normally after the taxing recovery for his brain. While Tensou's chips and programs were now responsible for a great majority of Jake's brain, his brain was still what kept him alive and what made him Jake. The chips and his brain needed to work together for his recovery to be complete. Jake could walk, run, jump, throw, and even duck and dodge objects when they were thrown at him. Noah gave Jake a soccer ball to practice with, and he could dribble and kick with the same precision and force as before his initial concussion. He was back to normal. Back to being the Jake Noah had always known. He was no longer trapped inside his own body. He was no longer the victim of severe brain damage. He was no longer going to be forced to watch his life move forward without him. The Megaforce Rangers had their black teammate back and Noah had his best friend back.

Now all that was left was letting the rest of the team know Jake was back to normal. Aside from the chips that would be permanently implanted in his brain to keep him alive and active, it was as though nothing had happened. Troy, Emma, Jordan, and especially Gia needed to hear and see the good news.

Jake was excited to see Gia. Though he had been nothing but a blank stare for all the times she had visited him, he had heard everything. He knew how much she cared. He knew how much she needed him. He knew how much she loved him. His condition was tearing her apart and more than anything he wanted to show her that she didn't have to worry about him anymore. He was going to be okay.

Suddenly, a light appeared in the common room and Jake had to shield his eyes. His recovery was near perfect, he just had a huge headache, which Tensou, Gosei, and even Noah assured him was very normal given everything his brain had just been forced to suffer through. Recovery was not an easy process. When the light faded, Troy appeared. The red Ranger didn't have a happy look on his face, especially when he saw Jake was no longer lying on the table. He failed to see the black Ranger standing by the wall, off to the side, chuckling silently to himself.

"Where… Where's Jake?" Troy asked and turned to Tensou, "What happened? Is everything okay?"

"Red Ranger!" Tensou cried and rolled over to Troy. He nearly knocked the boy over as he ran into his legs and wrapped his arms around him. "You're here!"

"Yeah, I'm here. I managed to sneak away for a moment to visit. Tensou, where's Jake?"

"I might not be doing headers for the next little while," Jake's voice came from beside him and Troy turned around to see his friend standing up unaided and suppressing a laugh, "but I sure as hell can't wait for my next game."

"Jake?"

"Who else?"

"What… what…?" Troy shook his head. He thought he was seeing things, but when he looked back, Jake was still standing there. "But… Tensou said… and you… three days?"

"Yeah, I got bored," Jake said as he walked over to Troy and opened his arms. "Thanks for the rescue, by the way."

Troy hugged his friend tightly, "I don't get it…"

"His recovery was faster than expected," Tensou cried excitedly as he rolled around the room. "It started improving suddenly and then I couldn't stop it! Not that I tried. Of course I didn't try. I just went with it! He kept going, and going, and going, and…"

"He gets it, Tensou," Jake chuckled. Troy shook his head.

"No, I really don't. Jake, you were… I mean… I hoped, but I was pretty sure…"

"C'mon, dude, really?" Jake rolled his eyes, "What? A little coma and you all think I'm out for good. Give me a little credit. I've already told you I have a hard head."

"Hard, but not invincible," Troy punched his friend lightly in the shoulder, "Don't you ever do that again."

"There goes my afternoon," Jake joked. Suddenly there was another light in the command center. Jake shielded his eyes until it faded. Then he heard a scream.

Then he was punched, hard, in the shoulder. It hurt. He nearly fell over. He grabbed his arm and rubbed it as he looked down at Emma.

"Um, _ow!"_

"What is this?" Emma pointed to Jake and then looked at Noah, Troy, and Tensou. "Gia's going to be here any minute! Whatever you idiots are trying to pull, this isn't funny! And where the hell is Jake?"

She pointed to the table where she had last seen Jake.

"I'm right here, Em. You know, the thing you used a punching bag."

"Uh, no," Emma shook his head and growled, "You're not Jake. You're some mean, insensitive prank that's going to push Gia off the edge."

"You know, on any other day, that would be hurtful," Jake pouted. Emma punched him again. "OW! That _is_ hurtful! Emma, stop it, it's really me! Tensou's chips worked! I'm back!"

"No, you're an idiot!"

"Emma, stop it! OW! Emma! OW! Emma! OW! Quit it!" Jake grabbed her wrists to restrain her. He looked her right in the eyes, "You punch hard!"

"Tensou said days. Day-_zz_," Emma frowned. "You can't be… I mean, you were… you… you…"

"It's me, Emma. It worked! Did you really… Em… you're choking me…"

Jake had to push the pink Ranger away from himself so he could breathe. He looked at her and saw her eyes were filled with tears. Safely this time, he let her hug him. "Something really motivated me to come back."

"He's back to being Jake," Noah announced happily and he couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he came to Jake's side and put his hand on his shoulder. "I still can't believe it, but it is real."

At that moment, there was another bright light. This time, Jake didn't shield his eyes. There was only one person who it could be, and he wanted to see the look on her face when she saw him. When Gia appeared and the light around her faded, her eyes instantly fell on Jake. A heavy silence filled the room.

After a moment, Gia took a step back and shook her head. Like her friends before, she couldn't believe it. This had to be a mean prank. She couldn't understand why the Rangers, her friends, would do something so mean to her.

"Gia, it's really me," Jake stepped forward and held out his hand. "Tensou's…"

He didn't finish. Gia leaped into his arms and threw her arms around him. She buried her face in his neck and started to sob. Jake held her and gently stroked her hair. He couldn't think of anything to say to her now, he was just glad to have her in his arms.

"I love you," he heard her whisper very softly in his ear and he smiled. Those were the words that made him want to come back. She was the reason he fought so hard to come back.

"I love you too," he whispered back. Gia held him a little tighter and she started to sob louder and harder. But she was happy. She was happy, because she knew he meant it. Finally, those words were true.

-Megaforce-

Jake's recovery was celebrated by a movie night at his house. His father wouldn't be home until evening the next day, so all the Rangers had plenty of space and privacy. Jake got to pick the movie, but he didn't care what was on the TV. He spent most of the movie looking down at the girl in his arms. Gia was nestled up against him, her head on his chest and her arms wrapped around his waist. Jake could see she was comfortable. He could see she was happy. His heart skipped a beat and he smiled. Gia must have known, because she looked up at him at that moment and gave him a kiss.

"I love you," she whispered Jake's three favourite words –the ones that saved his life. He never thought those words could ever make him as happy as he felt right now. His father always told him love was precious, but Jake felt like precious wasn't enough to describe what he had. He had already told this to Noah, but Gia wasn't one to utter those three words meaninglessly. If she said it, she meant it, and it she meant it, then she felt it strongly enough for her to admit it.

Gia was the most popular girl in school. Every boy wanted to date her. Every girl wanted to be her. She was smart, beautiful, talented, and strong. Jake loved her for all those reasons. She was everything he wanted in a girl. But when he scratched the surface, he saw a whole new side to Gia. She wasn't any of those things. At least, not as far as she believed. She felt ruined. Jake never saw that as the truth, and he made it his mission to get her to see herself for what she really was. On the way, he somehow won he over. He wasn't sure when it had happened, or what he had done to make it happen, but the love of his life had fallen in love with him. She needed him. She wanted him. She loved him. He wouldn't let her down.

"It's you," Jake whispered to her while the others enjoyed the movie. "You know that, right?"

Gia looked up, a little confused. Jake chuckled.

"I'm not going to say I enjoyed coma Jake, but the whole things seemed pretty hopeless from the inside. Even with Tensou's promise. I knew what I felt. I knew what I had been through. I knew how screwed up I was. I had my doubts, and they were pretty big. You convinced me to come back. When you told me you loved me, I knew I couldn't give up. I couldn't put you through that. You saved me. You're the reason I'm alive right now."

Gia shook her head and kissed him, "You saved me."

She nestled back into his arms. Jake held her close and kissed the top of her head.


End file.
